


After His Heart

by look_turtles



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 13:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14136744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/look_turtles/pseuds/look_turtles
Summary: Set during and after 4x15. Ed and Oswald’s relationship changes yet again





	After His Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Rated G for now, but will become NC-17 later

After The Riddler saved Martin, he kept his promise and took the boy out for ice cream. He knew that Sophie’s goons would be looking for them, but The Riddler was finally free of Ed and he was going to enjoy himself. Sophie’s goons be damn!

He hoped Martin liked it. Ed had never understood children, even when he was one, but he was pretty sure that children liked ice cream.

They stopped by an ice cream shop named Tony’s Ice and Cream. There was some poor sap dancing in an ice cream costume outside of the square red brick building with a green and purple awning above the door.

They got out of the car and walked into the shop. A bell rang as the door opened. The shop was small and the walls were painted light yellow. The walls were covered with paintings of colourful ice cream cones.

‘Welcome to Tony’s. How may I help you?’ The server behind the counter asked. She hat a giant cherry shaped hat on her head.

The Riddler looked over at Martin. ‘What would you like?’

Martin wrote something down and handed the note to The Riddler.

He read the note and smiled. Martin was a boy after his own heart.

‘Two large chocolate cones, please.’

While they were waiting, Martin wrote something and handed the note to The Riddler.

He read the note and it said, ‘Thank you for everything.’

He looked down and Martin. ‘You’re very welcome.’

They took their ice cream cones and sat down at a table. The Riddler took a bite of his ice cream and revelled in the sweet, chocolate taste.

As they ate, The Riddler just looked at Martin. He wasn’t really sure what to do with Martin. He had very limited experience with children. He remembered how as a child the other children would make fun of him and steal his backpack. 

He decided to open with a question. 

‘So, what do you like to do?’

Martin wrote down something. He passed the note to The Riddler.

The note read, ‘I like being Oswald’s conspirator and friend.’

The Riddler grinned. ‘I like being his conspirator too. Maybe we could conspire together with him.’ He still didn’t know if he was Oswald’s friend. He didn’t even know if Oswald trusted him. Perhaps they could rebuild their friendship. Ed would never admit to anyone, but he missed their easy friendship.

Martin grinned with chocolate around his mouth.

Once they were done eating, they walked out of the ice cream shop and got into their car. 

‘Time to get Uncle Penguin,’ The Riddler said with a smile. Martin grinned and The Riddler couldn’t help but agree. He was so excited to see Oswald again that he might just fire off a gun just for the hell of it.

The Riddler did fire a gun into the air as he ran with Oswald to a waiting truck.

The Riddler got behind the wheel and sped away. He laughed as he felt his heart beat fast.

‘Well that went better than I had hoped,’ Oswald said as he looked over at Ed.

‘Oh, yes! I do love when a plan comes together. I brought you some clothing.’

Oswald moved to the back of the truck and The Riddler watched him change in the rear view mirror. Pale skin was revealed. 

Later that day, The Riddler and Oswald walked away from the pier. His mouth hurt and his leg ached from the stab wound, but he was still happy to be free of that place, even more than he was happy to be free of Ed. He was even more happy that Oswald trusted him. 

Oswald had called him Ed and Ed’s personality hadn’t come back, even though he would call himself Ed ‘The Riddler’ Nygma from now on. Oswald knew him better than anyone.

As the walked to Oswald’s car, Ed limped. His leg throbbed and he was pretty sure the blood had started to flow again. 

‘Are you okay?’ Oswald asked.

‘Not really, but I’ll be okay.’

‘About that. I know a dentist who owes me a favor. Let’s get you fixed up.’

‘Okay,’ Ed said. His mouth was throbbing.

Once in the car, Oswald drove as Ed sat in the the passenger seat. He stared out the window and couldn’t stop grinning even though it hurt. Oswald trusted him. Maybe they could even be friends again or at least partners in crime. 

‘Where’s Martin?’ Oswald asked

‘I left him some place safe. I’ll give you directions to the motel. 

The drove through Gotham until they came to what could only be described as the bad part of town. The parked in front of a motel. 

They walked across the crumbling parking lot and made their way to a building with peeling paint and loose, creaking steps.

Ed opened the motel door and Martin ran to Oswald and wrapped him in a big hug.

‘You okay?’ Oswald asked as Martin looked up at him and he patted Martin’s hair. There were tears in his eyes.

Martin nodded as they walked into the motel room. Ed took Oswald over to a table covered with papers that detailed plans.

There would be time for work later, now Ed needed to sit down. His mouth was throbbing even more and his leg was bleeding a lot.

‘Let me take care of you,’ Oswald said as he watched Ed with concern in his eyes.

They got into the car, and drove to a large building made of metal and glass and Oswald lead them to a back door.

They walked into the office and Ed caught the scent of bleach and antiseptic. It reminded him of when he was Ed. He wasn’t Ed ‘Riddle Man’ Nygma anymore and that made him grin.

Bright white lights gleamed off white tile flooring and white painted walls.

A squat man with thinning hair dressed in a white lab coat came up to Oswald. His hands shook as he took in Ed’s bloody face.

‘You want me to fix him?’ 

‘Oh, yes. And just so we’re clear, if you don’t do a good job I will kill you slowly.’

‘Sure. Get in the chair,’ the man said looking concerned about Oswald threat. Oswald had killed people for less. Ed had even killed people for less.

Ed sat in the dental chair and was taken back to when he would go to the dentist as a child. He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get a sugar free sucker after this visit was over.

The man gave Ed some laughing gas as he reached for his tools. Everything happened in a blur, but the one thing that was clear was the feeling of Oswald’s hand gripping Ed. As pieces of teeth were extracted and his gums were sown up, he concentrated on the feeling of Oswald’s skin against his own. 

The dentist stuffed Ed’s mouth full of gauze and Oswald helped him out of the chair. As they walked back to the car, Oswald was so close and maybe it was the laughing gas, but Ed had the sudden urge to sniff Oswald’s pale neck. He buried his nose into Oswald’s skin and breathed deeply. Oswald smelled like sweat and it made Ed giddy and he would have laughed if there wasn’t gauze in his mouth.

Oswald looked up at him with wide eyes. ‘Come on, Ed.’ 

Oswald led Ex to the car and helped him into the seat. Ed dozed as they drove. He didn’t even realize that his hand rested on Oswald’s knee.

He didn’t remember much after that. He remembered walking into the motel and collapsing onto the bed. 

The next thing he knew, he opened his eyes and Martin was staring at him.

‘Where is Oswald?’ Ed asked because he didn’t see Oswald anywhere. 

Martin passed Ed a note. He picked up his glasses that were sitting on the table by the bed and put them on.

‘Oswald went out to get food,’ Martin’s note said. 

Ed suddenly realized that there was no longer gauze in his mouth and his blood covered suit was gone. He was dressed only in his undershirt and boxers. He looked down at his leg and saw that his wound had been wrapped up.

‘What would you like to do?’ Ed asked Martin.

Martin drew a picture of playing cards and Ed thought that was a great idea.

Oswald opened the door and found Ed and Martin playing poker.

Oswald walked in to the room with a white bag in his hand. Ed’s mouth watered when he caught the scent of burgers and fries.

‘Oh, you’re up. How are you feeling?’ Oswald asked.

‘My mouth still hurts, but it’s okay. What happened last night?’

Oswald’s cheeks turned pink. ‘I tried to make you more comfortable and took off your clothes. I also stitched up your leg. Was that okay?’

Ed grinned. ‘Of course! Thank you, Oswald.’

Oswald handed Ed a vanilla milkshake. ‘It really was the least I could do. I thought you might not be able to chew so I brought you a milkshake. You like vanilla, right?’

Ed took a sip and like the thick, creamy liquid slide down his throat. ‘You know so well. What is the plan now?’

Oswald hand his fingers through his hair. ‘Thought I would go back to the Van Dahl manor and rebuild my empire.’

‘Ah, do need my help? Ed asked. He hoped that Oswald would say yes, but he wasn’t going to assume.

‘That would be wonderful. There is no one I would rather by my side.’

Martin passed Oswald a note and Oswald grinned after he read it. ‘Of course I also want Martin by my side as well.’

The rest of the day was filled with making plans. They drove up to the manor and the grounds were in serious need of some care. The grass was high and covered with the weeds. The hedges were thick and full.

They walked into the manor and it looked even worse on the inside. The furniture was covered with dust and the air smelled stale. 

The spent the day cleaning and dusting. Ed worked along side Oswald and couldn’t help but feel that he had found what had been missing. They worked together so well weather it was cleaning or killing.

Later that night, Ed and Oswald were sitting on the couch going over plans when suddenly, Oswald got quiet.

‘I was thinking. Perhaps you should stay here. If you’re going to be my right hand man, it would be logical for you to stay near me.’

Ed didn’t even have to think about it.

‘Of course!’ Ed said and Oswald grinned and Ed grinned back.

There really was no place he’d rather be.


End file.
